Hardest of Hearts
by sassyduck
Summary: "You never forget your first," he had said. Can these two hearts, both hardened by the loss of or betrayal by loved ones, find their way to loving again? Please review!
1. Chapter 1

Killian cursed the sky blue the entire way down the beanstalk, occasionally embedding his hook into the plant harder than strictly necessary to grab hold. She had already bested him once, somehow knowing when he was lying and when he wasn't, forcing him to tell the truth—to _always_ tell the truth, which was not something he particularly cared for. Especially when she asked such personal questions, somehow seeing more about him than she should have been able. Hadn't that been enough? Wasn't it enough that he had no defense against her, had gotten the giant's attention _for her_, knowing the brute was only seconds away from smelling the blood on her hand, dried as it was. He had risked _his_ life, made a complete fool of himself—

He had trusted her. Would it have bloody killed her to do the same?

Killian sagged against the vine, slack as a sail without wind, his face turned towards the ground a tantalizing twenty feet below. He could see her footprints, scuffs in the dirt as the women had picked up camp and made to the east.

Anger swelled in his chest and he started descending rapidly. He was going to find that contrary lass and knock some sense into that thick skull of hers—

He cried out, his hands slipping as the cuff around his right wrist flared brightly, the flesh beneath burning as he fell.

* * *

The woods were unusually quiet as the four women made their way between gnarled tree trunks and low-hanging bows. Mulan had warned them to make as little noise as possible when they had been forced to enter, something about encroaching on the territory of some supposedly horrible ape-men, and while Emma still had some serious doubts, she figured that it was better to be safe than sorry. Especially after what happened with the ogres.

She wasn't used to not knowing the rules, not knowing how to act to get exactly what she wanted, and it was driving her crazy. She had always had an incredible intuition. It wasn't just that she could tell when people were lying to her—she often knew when something was wrong as well, whether that meant the police were lurking around the corner or that someone was armed or on the edge of snapping. With those kinds of skills, navigating a word dominated by people had become easy. This world, though—a world with beasts she couldn't read in the same way lurking around every corner—she felt completely lost.

They made camp in a hollow at the base of an outcrop of rock as the light was failing, their small fire sheltered between the boulders and the thick trunks of a stand of trees. Emma had pushed hard, wanting to get as far away as possible before the giant released Hook, but the others had followed suit without argument, probably not wanting to stay in that particular forest longer than necessary. They were all exhausted, and everyone but Aurora fell soundly asleep after their scant meal.

* * *

There were shinies close. He could smell them, drawn out of the dark by the tingling in his nose. He moved slowly, each step a pounding in joints stiff from disuse, until the smell of the gold was so close he could almost taste it, even surrounded by the stench of leather as it was.

It didn't take much once he had gotten to the reeking sack. There wasn't much in there except for the lovely shining trinket. The gold dial spun as he retrieved it, mesmerizing in its beauty.

A slight sob came from one of the dark figures lying near the sack. A girl turned in her sleep, tossing curls more beautiful than the finest spun gold he had ever found. "Arela?" he croaked, his heart springing to life for the first time in years as he took a step towards her.

But her wrist was glowing, a blinding bright light that made him afraid, made him turn and flee back to his dark home, his new trinket in tow.


	2. Chapter 2

Killian groaned, the dull ache in his head gradually increasing into a steady throb. He tried to reach up and soothe the pounding at his temples, frowning when he found it impossible to move either arm. His eyes snapped open as he strained against…the rock encasing his forearms.

A low chuckle reverberated against the walls of the cave as Cora stepped out of the shadows. "Now Hook, I would have thought you would know better by now." She drifted towards him, the small smile on her lips making cold sweat bead at the base of his neck.

He still managed to fake a smile, his lips twisting into the much-familiar playful grin that had gotten him out of many a tight spot, and he inclined his head ever so slightly. "Cora. Always lovely to see you." He glanced down at his unusual restraints and then back at her, his eyebrow arching mischievously. "Being a little formal though, aren't we?"

Cora just smiled back at him and reached to unlock his hook from the bracket that had been attached to his wrist. "This really is a fine bit of metal work, but I wonder; have you ever been on the business end?" Killian swallowed hard as she traced the point up the inside of his arm, slowly across his collarbone, and then down the opening of his tunic. "I'm a big believer in knowing all of your tools intimately. When you can, that is." She removed the point from his skin and held it before her face to examine it a moment, a small sigh escaping her lips as she set it aside. "I don't really have that luxury, though."

Her hand plunged into his chest without warning, her fingers tightening painfully around his heart for a moment before she pulled it out of his body. Killian gasped at the pain, a wave of nausea threatening to overwhelm him. "What does that feel like?" Cora asked, his glowing heart clutched tightly in her claw-like fingers. "Such a small organ, you'd think it wouldn't make that much of a difference, but I've been told that even the most potent of memories lose their edge. For example, what do you think of when I say 'revenge?'"

Killian supposed she meant for him to think of Rumplestiltskin, to remember just why he needed her, but he was assaulted instead by thoughts of Emma. He closed his eyes, frowning as he found that his memories were losing every emotion that had been associated with them: the frustration, the confusion, even the wonder, curiosity, and trust that she had evoked in his breast against every effort on his part to keep those emotions at bay. Everything was bleeding away, no matter how he grasped at it, and Killian was surprised to find that he didn't want them to go. The truth was that, even though she had betrayed him as surely as sliding a knife between his ribs, he had felt more during their brief time together than he had for years before, and he didn't want to lose those feelings. He gasped, trying to hold them closer and yet failing at every attempt.

Cora watched his face, her grin growing as Killian's panic increased. "It's true. If I were to keep your heart, you would lose your emotions to such an extent as to have no real desire or purpose—save that which I gave you." Killian's chin lowered to rest on his chest, exhausted and losing both his ability and will to fight, but she followed, her head tilting to the side and lowering so that she stayed in his field of vision. "Lucky for you that you are more use to me with your desire for revenge intact." Her hand plunged back into his chest, twisting as she settled his heart back in place before removing her hand with agonizing slowness, leaving him gasping from the pain, the emotions rushing back in an almost overwhelming tide. She grasped his chin between thumb and finger, forcing his head back. "The moment you cease to be useful," Cora whispered, the muscle under her eye twitching dangerously, "I will take it and not give it back."

She stepped back a moment then turned to go, the rock binding him melting away with a careless waive of her hand. Killian fell to his knees, his good hand pressed over his aching heart. "Was that your version of keelhauling?" he croaked as he tried to regain his footing.

Cora laughed. "No, dear, you only keelhaul people you didn't expect to betray you." Killian's hand froze as he reached for his hook, cold dread blossoming in the pit of his stomach. "Come, Hook. We have a little birdie to catch."


End file.
